Hollywood actor Jeremy Renner, known for his role as IMF agent William Brandt, recently discussed his decision to step away from the Mission: Impossible franchise. Despite the series’ massive success, Renner prioritized his family, specifically his daughter, over his career in this high-octane film series.
Commitment to Family
Renner, who starred in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that his decision was driven by the time demands of the franchise. “I was supposed to do more with them. I love those guys. I love Tom so much. We had so much fun, and I love that character a lot. It requires a lot of time away. It’s all in London. I had to go be a dad. It just wasn’t gonna work out then,” he explained.
The actor’s commitment to his daughter took precedence over his role in the blockbuster series. He mentioned the possibility of returning now that his daughter is older, stating, “Maybe now that my daughter is older that could happen. I’d always jump into a Mission: Impossible anytime and back into Brandt. It’s great.”
Protective Over His Character
Renner also shared an incident involving the franchise’s director, Christopher McQuarrie, where he vehemently opposed the idea of his character being killed off. “I remember they tried to bring me over [overseas] for a week so they could kill my character, and I was like, ‘No, you don’t get to do that. You’re not going to drag me over there and just kill my character,’ like get out of here. If you’re going to do this and you’re going to use my character, you’re going to do it right,” Renner asserted.
At the time of Rogue Nation’s release, rumors suggested that the studio was considering Renner to take over the franchise from Tom Cruise. However, Renner dismissed these claims, emphasizing, “It has always been Tom’s show, and leaving the franchise or changing the narrative would be his decision.”
About the Mission: Impossible Franchise
The Mission: Impossible film series, based on the TV series that aired from 1966 to 1973, follows the thrilling adventures of Ethan Hunt, portrayed by Tom Cruise. The franchise has garnered positive reception from critics and is the 17th-highest-grossing film series of all time, earning over $4.09 billion worldwide.
Currently, the team is working on the eighth installment, which is a direct sequel to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie and produced by Paramount Pictures, the film also stars Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Simon Pegg. This will be McQuarrie’s fourth Mission: Impossible film since joining the franchise in 2015.